Israel checking whether it killed Hamas deputy military leader Marwan Issa in Gaza
- Israel said it bombed refugee camp in central Gaza following intelligence about the location of Marwan Issa
- ‘Shadow Man’ Issa was one of three top Hamas leaders who planned the October 7 attack on Israel
Israel was checking on Monday whether it had killed Hamas’ deputy military leader in an air strike in Gaza, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said, as prospects faded for a ceasefire to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
If his death is confirmed, Marwan Issa will be the highest-ranking official from the Islamist militant movement killed by Israel in five months of war that has pulverised the coastal enclave and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Issa, known as the “Shadow Man” for his ability to stay out of sight, was one of three top Hamas leaders who planned the October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war and who are believed to have been directing Hamas’s military operations since then.
Speaking at a briefing with reporters, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israel had bombed the Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night following intelligence about the location of Issa, second-in-command of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades.
Two Hamas leaders – Issa and another commander responsible for Hamas weapons in Gaza – used the underground compound that Israeli jets struck in a joint operation with Israel’s Shin Bet security service, Hagari said.
